Baldur's Gate 3 is in Early Access, and while that means there are bugs galore and huge chunks of content yet to be introduced, there is still plenty of fun to be had with the game. As of now, only the first act of Baldur's Gate 3 is available to play, but that's still well-over a dozen hours of game time. These tips can help players maximize their fun in the world of Baldur's Gate.
The first step to finding the fun with Baldur's Gate 3 is to the Divinity: Original Sin games, which both turned out very well. Still, players should be fully aware that they are buying in to an unfinished product.
The next key to having fun in Baldur's Gate hinges on nailing the first choice offered - install this game on an SSD. Baldur's Gate 3 is already a lovely game filled with detailed character models and environments. Those details all turn to mud when the game is installed on a slower speed hard drive. The texture pop-in becomes very pronounced in this instance. On an SSD, though, the pop-in is (mostly) eliminated. The animations for Baldur's Gate 3's companion characters are greatly enhanced when their clothes are identifiable beyond a morass of formless color. When the game is full released, this may no longer be an issue - as optimization is usually one of the final steps of development - but, as of now, installing Baldur's Gate 3 onto an SSD is paramount.
Having The Most Fun In Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access
Following in the footsteps of it's predecessors, Baldur's Gate 3 features two main gameplay sections; combat, and conversation, and each offers distinct challenges with distinct consequences. Failing a conversation rarely results in death, but failing a combat encounter in Baldur's Gate certainly will. In the case of death, players will be prompted to reload their latest save. There is an auto-save feature in the game, but it can be inconsistent. Losing hours of progress by having outdated saves is the antithesis of fun. The quicksave button (F5 by default) is the savior here. Do not be stingy with those saves. Having to replay a single, twenty-minute long combat encounter is much more palatable than having to replay several of them.
The final key to having fun in Baldur's Gate 3 Early Access is also a key to having fun in the real world - don't sweat the small stuff. It's an unfinished game with plenty of issues that need to be fixed. Some of them are of much greater import than others. A character failing to path correctly that results in their death and a quest failure is a game-breaking bug, worthy of scorn. A character awkwardly 'holding' a knife in a cutscene is not. A floating prop may be a bit of a letdown, but shouldn't ruin the fun at this point in development. It's best to make a note of it, report the bug, and move on. Players who are especially put off by this sort of bug should avoid Baldur's Gate 3 for now.
While the full release of Baldur's Gate 3 may still be years away, those who cannot wait to get their hands on this RPG should still be able to find hours of entertainment with the Early Access version. By having a clear picture of what that 'Early Access' tag means, players can avoid some of the initial disappointments that could put a damper on the experience. Those who want to wait are sure to get a polished game upon the final release. But for those who just can't wait, these tips can only improve the Early Access experience.
